Artificial tooth structure



Feb. 1, 1955 s. J. INFANTE ARTIFICIAL TooTR STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 26, 1952 TRN@ E. m z mw n m F W m fw. .v MW m I w j M, J

l.- r a 0 L m Marr/JWM ma Z 4 p #N1 am@ e y E n E N ar? MS z 021 mm mfr ma KVP United States Patent O ARTIFICIAL TOOTH STRUCTURE Samuel J. Infante, Bloomfield, N. J. Application August 26, 1952, Serial No. 306,433 7 claims. (c1. .s2-12) The present invention relates to improvements in the art of dentistry and relates more particularly to the replacment of facings or veneers which serve as artificial teet As is well known, in the dental art, it has been the practice to provide bridgework or other dental structures with labial facings of suitable material simulating teeth. Such facings in accordance with the general practice are replicas of natural teeth and are of course permanently fixed in the mouth. It often happens, however, that by accident a facing may be broken or chipped or for other reasons may need replacement. Following the current practice it becomes necessary to remove the bridge or other structure since the removal and replacement of a facing, heretofore required that the work be performed in the laboratory of the dental technician.

In accordance with the present invention a bridge or prepared tooth crown may be so constructed and arranged that the removal and replacement of a facing can be accomplished without removal of the bridge or the casting secured to the crown of a natural tooth.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a dental structure wherein veneers or facings may be readily removed and replaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide dental facings so formed as to cooperate with means associated with a bridge or prepared tooth as to align a replaced facing so as to occupy the position of the removed facing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following description together with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a front view of a plurality of teeth provided with facings in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a View taken on line II-II in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line III--III in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view of the several component elements employed to provide a removable and replaceable facing;

Fig. 5 is a view taken on line V-V in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a front view of a plurality of teeth supported by a bridge construction and having replaceable facings;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary transverse cross section of a part of the bridge work shown in Fig. 6 viewed in the .direction indicated by arrows X, and

Fig. 8 is a view taken on line VIII-VIII in Fig. 6.

As shown in the drawing (see Fig. 4) a tooth 10 having root 10' in its natural position in the gum, has the crown 11 thereof shaped to enter a hollow casting 12 for nested relation therewith. The casting 12, which may be termed a retainer element, is open at end 13 for the entrance of the shaped crown 11. The other end of casting 12 is closed by distal surface 12' and bounded by lingual wall 13 and labial wall 14. At opposite sides of wall 13 are provided longitudinal grooves 15 and 15 extending from distal surface or wall 12 to the perimeter of the opening 13 and with notches or depressions 16 and 16.

From the above it will be evident that although the cap or casting 12 follows the present practice to provide a base to receive and support a veneer or facing, it has been modified to receive and retain a facing so constructed as to cooperate with the casting for locking the two parts in predetermined relation.

As shown, a facing or veneer is provided in the form of a hollow shell 18 having a labial wall 19 conforming to the wall 14 of casting 12. The said wall 19 exice tends between open end 20 of shell 18 and distal wall 21.` A lingual wall 22 is provided with a slot 23 extending from wall 21 to open end 20 of the shell 18. Edges 24 and 25 of slot 23 are inturned and forming guide ridges spaced apart a distance equal to the distance between grooves 15 and 15 of the casting 12. Bosses or protuberances 17 and 17' also extend from the inner surface of shell 18.

In practice the casting is positioned over the natural tooth crown in accordance with well known procedure. The casting thus serves as a base on which to secure the facing 18 which is moved over the casting to cause the edges 24 and 25 to be disposed in grooves 15 and 15 and bosses 17 and 17' to enter notches 16 and 16. The cooperation between the facing edges and the grooves and the bosses and notches serves to align, locate and lock the facing in predetermined relation to the casting and in correct position relative to adjacent teeth. The facing is secured by any suitable method as by cement.

As above described a facing may readily be removed or attached to a natural tooth and the same is true with respect to a bridge supported facing.

ln bridge constructions where the bridge plate supports a facing the bridge plate is provided with an eX- tension 26 to receive the facing shell 18. The extension 26, which serves the same purpose as casting 12, isalso provided with grooves 27 and 28 (see Fig. 7) to receive the edges 24 and 25 of a facing 18. It will be evident that in the case of bridge supported facings the removal and replacement is accomplished, as above described, without the necessity of removing the bridge. As will be evident the extension 26 may be provided with depressions to receive bosses of a facing 18 to lock the facing against relative endwise movement.

Obviously the facing or veneer may be of any Well known material such as a plastic, porcelain or the like. lf, in the case of a facing secured as above set forth, it becomes desirable to remove a facing, it may readily be broken away from the casting without removing casting from the tooth or removing the bridge. The casting or retainer element is then ready to receive a new facing which may be moved to slide the edges 24 and 25 along guide grooves 15 and 15 and locked in its proper position by the bosses 16 and 16 entering notches 17 and 17 to its proper position and secured by cement.

It will be readily understood that when a facing is removed and a new facing desired an impression may be taken of the casting 12 whereby a new facing or veneer may be formed with the guide ridges 24 and 25 and bosses 17 and 17. Thus when the new facing has been formed it may conveniently be applied to the casting 12 and take the original position of the removed facing. The guide ridges and slots cooperate with the bosses and notches which latter control the location of the facing endwise of the casting. The veneer or facing is fixed in position by a suitable cement.

The entire operation of removing and replacing a facing may be performed without the removal of the bridge from the mouth or the casting from a tooth thereby avoiding the discomfort and inconvenience to a patient.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described herein it is to be understood that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. An artificial tooth structure including a casting, said casting having labial, lingual and distal surfaces, said lingual surface having a longitudinal groove, a shell formed to receive said casting in nested relation thereto and a longitudinal guide ridge integral with said shell for engaging said groove to align said shell relative to said casting.

2. An artificial tooth structure including a casting, said casting having labial, lingual and distal surfaces, said lingual surface having longitudinal grooves at opposite sides thereof, a shell having a lingual wall, said lingual wall having a slot said slot having longitudinal edges for engaging said grooves to align said shell relative to said casting.

3. An artificial tooth structure including a casting, said casting having labial, lingual and distal surfaces, said lingual surface having grooves disposed in parallel relation extending from said distal surface to the opposite end of said casting, a shell having labial, lingual and distal walls, said lingual Wall having a slot extending longitudinally of said lingual wall and provided with inturned edges for disposition in said grooves to align said shell relative to said casting.

4. An artificial tooth structure including a casting, said casting having labial, lingual and distal surfaces, said lingual surface having oppositely disposed longitudinal grooves, a shell having labial, lingual and distal walls, said lingual Wall having a slot provided with inturned edges to provide longitudinal guide ridges for disposition in said grooves to align said shell relative to said casting and means on said casting and said shell cooperating to retain said casting and shell against relative endwise movement.

5. An artificial tooth structure comprising a hollow retainer element having lingual, labial and distal walls to receive a tooth portion, said retainer element having longitudinal grooves at opposite sides of said lingual Wall, a facing having lingual, labial and distal walls, said lingual wall of said facing having a slot providing longitudinal guide ridges for disposition in said grooves to align said retainer element and facing during relative movement into nested relation.

6. An artificial tooth structure comprising a hollow retainer element having lingual, labial and distal walls to receive a tooth portion, said retainer element having longitudinal grooves at opposite sides of said lingual wall, a facing having lingual, labial and distal walls, said lingual wall of said facing having a slot providing longitudinal guide ridges for disposition in said grooves to align said retainer element and facing during relative movement into nested relation and means on said retainer element cooperating with means on said facing to hold said retainer and facing against relative endwise movement.

7. An artificial tooth structure comprising a hollow retainer element having lingual, labial and distal walls to receive a tooth portion, said retainer element having longitudinal grooves at opposite sides of said lingual wall, a facing having lingual, labial and distal walls, said lingual wall of said facing having a slot providing longitudinal guide ridges for disposition in said grooves to align said retainer element and facing during relative movement into nested relation and retained element having a depression and a boss integral with said facing cooperating with said depression to hold said retainer and facing against relative endwise movement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 897,518 Bloom Sept. 1, 1908 2,146,064 George Feb. 7, 1939 OTHER REFERENCES Por-Cast Veneer, Dental Survey, March 1935, page 8. 

